Frank L. Ryerson

Professional Musician

Frank L. Ryerson, born in Paterson, New Jersey, began his professional trumpet career at the Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove. From 1927 onward, he performed and recorded with major big bands, including Mal Hallett (for whom he also arranged), Glen Gray’s Casa Loma Orchestra, Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, and Vaughn Monroe. Between 1939 and 1942, his trumpet work appeared on 137 recordings. Ryerson co-wrote the Jimmy Dorsey hit “Blue Champagne” in 1941, later covered by The Manhattan Transfer, and composed “Lament in D Minor.” By 1949, he was Vaughn Monroe’s orchestral arranger.

Educator

For the remaining half of his career Ryerson was an educator. Beginning in 1951 he built and ran the instrumental music program for the Paramus Public Schools. He graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and in 1957 became the music director at the new Paramus High School where he created the student concert band, marching band, big-band style dance (stage) band, and later a brass choir. He arranged many of the charts himself and introduced innovative techniques to the marching band not common at the time.

The organizations were known for their high quality and enthusiasm from the beginning. He wrote the alma mater lyrics (sung to the tune "Aura Lee", popularly known at the time in the form of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender").

He also led and played trumpet in a local small professional dance/jazz combo, and provided private trumpet lessons at his home in the adjacent town of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, to students from the surrounding area. After 25 years in the school system, in 1976 Ryerson retired and moved to Clearwater, Florida. He died nineteen years later on May 15, 1995 at the age of 89.